The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-23
A RETURNED rHEosoPHIsT.
Nine. Blavatsky Comes Back from
India to Incredulous London.

India to Incredulous London.
"Mme Blavatsky has returned to London
from India,n writes London Journal 1T
is to be hoped she brings with her some new
IDEAS" adds the same paper, abiding to the
theories of the Theosophists which she had
promulgated upon a former visit. At that
time her theories, comparatively speaking,
were new. London received her kindly and
listened. There was a certain mystlcai
charm about theosophy; it sprang from the
dreamy religion Of Buddha, it prom
ised much to weary, earth-bound men
and women, and it touched gently
of mystery, Oh the best and higher
phases of spiritualism, not the table dancing,
vulgar business or the ungrammatlcal mes
sages from dead Macauiays and troubled
Websters, but the phase that permitted &c
static souls Ito shake off the dull envelope
of clay and mingle in an entranced union
with souls kindred to theirs" Then Nine.
Blavatsky was backed up by able enthusi-
asts Col. Olcott, a writer of ability in the
line he has chosen. accompanied her; Mr.
Mohini, a cultured Indian gentleman, up
held her. and at Mr.. Sinnetts house she
stayed, and in her drawing rooms held re-
captions conformity with her hostess.
The apostles of the new creed were widely
different both in appearance and character.
MI tOlIlil6tb, QUICK, ICi NOuoiJ OiAAi iAiiO'h
by his books, "The Occult World, ""E soterlc
Buddhism and "Karma," was an earnest.
though logically weak, expounder OF the
doctrines he believed, truthful man wan
dering in a maze of Indian theology. Col.
Olcott, an American gentleman, as earnest
as his host, but of a stronger and more self
reliant character Mr. Mohni, a Buddhist
pure and simple, lay priest of the order,
conscientiously fitting himself for its higher
offices, a thoughtful scholar whose mind
outstripped his bodily achievements, and, 1T
must be confessed its common sense re-
quirements-I allude to his fasting tendon
cies whereby his frances were self
induced-and believed in. Mrs. Slnnett,
lady-like, refined woman of the
world, neglectful of none of the cOnUendnces
of society and only following where her
husband led, and Nine Blavatsky, round
faced and bright-eyed, shrewd and full OF
vanity, feshy and gOod-natured, but with
manners that left much to be desired; her
ridiculous magical assumption was one of
the early errors that helped to bring dis
credit upon the good faith of the proceed
ings Prof. Max Muller, whom | met
there first, listened politely, smiled, said lit
tie, and never went there again. Prof.
Barrett Dublin, member of the Psychical
Research Committee-befOre that body re-
nounced the Theosophists and all their
works-was a more constant visitor, but
cover the source of certain phenomena,
they were unpractically leaving the
earth and swimming in the clouds
above him. Still, the receptions continued
as merrily as ever and new converts were
being added week by week. The papers let
them alone, with the exception of the st.
| James Gazette, which attacked them
virulently and insisted upon simple tests and
other uncomfortable things-thatis is, uncom-
| Portable to a body of ladies and gentlemen
| who are learning by faith to float in space,
| to dispatch their souls to distant cities
| while their waiting, cumbersome bodies
repose in locked rooms, and to feel
assured that when they die they
would enter ''Karma;n that is, be born
again as man or woman, it was uncertain
which, but probably a woman, and that
| finally they would enter "Nirvana," which
| is a blissful state OF doing nothing and being
satisfied about it, owing to 'transcendental
| goodness. The Saturday ReUietU took them
| up later, and after the manner of that
| journal, searified them. But at that time
| the thing was new, and London, like all big
cities with cultured leisure class, just then
painted for a novelty, so it picked up Mr..
| Sinnett and Nine. Blavatsky, and London
| lodge was formed.
| The inauguration was held in Princess
| Hall, Piccadilly, and was certainly well at
| tended, crowded by constantly arriving
| guests, UHe LdSLuOudDiy SCleIlI1UC. literary
| and artistic society, from o'clock till mid
night The theosophical gentlemen spoke
from platform, and Nine Blavatsky, re-
| gally attired, received with the eclat of
queen all who were presented to her; by her
side stood an Hindoostanese boy dressed in
velvet, holding a large silver salver heaped
with theosophical pamphlets which were
distributed to those whom the lady
selected Possibly it was this grand re-
ception and the doctrine enunciated from
the platform that directed the energy of the
press anew upon their doings They were
| approached formally by the Psychical Re-
| search Committee their claims considered,
their professions investigated, and their
mystical attributes-those of Mr.. Mohini
and Mime. Enthusiastically denounced,
not that the doings of the body, albeit uni
versity men, influenced the press, who went
to work independently of the comments of
the committee especially of a committee
that might be supposed TO have fellow
feeling for them, occupied, as it is, in sitting
the truth of occult phenomena.
The result of it all was that Nine. Bla-
vatsky shook the dust Of London from her
feet and retired to India. Now she has re-
turned, and if, as the London paper hopes,
with some new ideas" we shall probably
hear, ere long, whether they are sufficiently
startling 70 resuscitate dying interest.
. Vr-- i m